Wordless Wednesday

 

Learning Hand Stitch Applique ~ One Day at a Time

 

Here is the layout for my 

Vintage Flower Sampler Quilt

Only the strawberry piece is prepped for stitching.

I washed out what I had done the previous day and started over. 

After a few attempts using the freezer paper technique

 that so many quilters online find tried and true,

 I eliminated the freezer paper.

I am using a brush to dampen the 1/4 inch seam allowance, 

letting it dry and become stiffened 

and then I am turning and pressing the edge under.

Tomorrow I hope to get the leaves prepped and ready

so I can begin hand stitching.

Hopefully this is going to work.

I will keep trying, if it does not.

After two days of rain and above freezing temperatures,

we have another snow storm arriving tonight and tomorrow

and the freezing temperatures are back.

May your weekend be happy and all be well in your quilty place.

My Temperature Tree Block ~ Free Block Pattern

Here is the cutting for this little Pine Tree Block

that I am sewing for my 2024 Temperature Quilt.

For the background, I cut 4" by WOF strips

and cut the triangles with these 

EZ Tri Rec Rulers by Darlene Zimmerman.

Then I cut 2" strips into 2" squares.

I cut 1.5" strips and cut into 1.5' by 5.5" strips for the side spacer piece.

I keep these in my three section organizer by my sewing machine

so I can easily sew my daily block.

I sew the first side triangle to the 60 degree triangle

and one of the 2" squares to the trunk section. 

I press outward.

Then I sew the second side on both pieces and press outward.

The I sew the top to the bottom and press toward the trunk.

Then I sew the side piece to the right and press outward.

Maestro likes to help me cut while Katniss likes to cat nap in the kitty bed.

Here is my completed sample block which measures 5.5" square.

Here are my blocks for this week so far.

Yesterday and today it stayed in the 34-39 degree Fahrenheit range,

so I sewed twin blocks with the same fabrics switched trunk to tree top.

My second January row is growing.

Happy Sewing! 

I Like Thursday ~ Learning Something New

 

I like learning and trying my hand at new things. 

One of the skills of quilt making has always eluded me ... Hand Applique.

By trial and error I leaned to do a nice machine applique.

Now it is time to apply the same effort toward hand stitched applique.

I want to make my own templates, too.

This is one of the new tools I am using is this

Simple Seam Wheel ~ Jen Kingwell Designs ~ Video Here

With this I have made a template set for the

Strawberries Block from the Vintage Flower Book.

So far I have the four large strawberry pieces cut 

and am preparing them for applique. 

I am still in the trial and error phase of seeing what method works best for me.

I do admit that I still feel all thumbs during this process.

I shall persevere.

Hand applique has long been on my quilty bucket list

and I decided it is going to be my challenge for 2024.

What are you working on this Thursday?

For more Thursday fun, visit my friends for the

I Like Thursday @ Not Afraid of Color

May you have a happy day! 

Wordless Wednesday

 

2024 Temperature Quilt ~ Row 2

I have started Row Two of my 

2024 Temperature Quilt ~ Started Here 

Here is the start of my new row under Row One.

It has been quite chilly here of late

 and my blocks are getting more colorful 

with the purples and grays that I am using for subfreezing temperatures.

I am hoping the warmer colors will be returning soon.

I am very much enjoying making these little tree blocks.

May you have a happy, quilty day!

Interrupting My Blog for a Special Notice

 

This is my photo.

If you have seen this photo on Facebook or anywhere else,

my permission was not given for its use.

Imagine my surprise today when I saw this photo

 on a quilting group site on Facebook

with a link not to my blog, but to another quilting site.

I asked them to remove the photo or change the link to my blog post.

So far I have been ignored and this has not happened.

I am hoping it will soon.

I published this photo on June 17, 2019 in the following post:

One Pineapple ~ Two Pineapple 

I made these blocks for the

Pineapple Day Free Quilt Pattern @ Fat Quarter Shop

and shared some of my photos with Fat Quarter Shop for use on their site.

This photo was not one of them.

I am a small blogger affiliate to Fat Quarter Shop.

I have never given any other site permission to use any my Pineapple Block photos.

Fat Quarter Shop never published this particular photo

and I know how respectful and careful they are of other quilter's rights, 

so I know this photo had to have been stolen from my blog.

All photos and text on my blog are mine 

and may not be copied and used without my permission. 

I have changed the settings on my blog 

so that no one can right click on any of my photos 

and save them and use them again in the future.

I have also disabled copying my text.

Thank you to all of you who have always respected my right to own my own photos.

I will continue to enjoy sharing my quilty efforts

 and move on from this unfortunate experience.

Happy Quilting! 

Slow Sunday Stitching ~ Flea Market Flowers Progress

Today I did a little

(very little if the truth be told)

slow stitching 

while I was watching the NFL Footbal Playoff Games

 with Mr. Scrapatch and one of our sons. 

The games were interesting so my hands were idle much of the time.

I did make some progress on the first large flower motif

in the upper left hand corner of the grid.

I am playing with the colors that are given in the pattern.

This is my first cross stitch project for 2024

 and I will be working on it for some time,

Flea Market Flowers ~ Started Here

since I have been playing with my sewing machine recently.

Hopefully I will have this motif done soon.

Here are my tools of the trade.

I have been using my take of the

Stitching-in-Hand Method

For this project.

Here is my completed grid for this design.

~~~

Linking up for the first time this year with

Slow Sunday Stitching @ Kathy's Quilts

I hope your weekend has been happy and healthy

and you new week will go well.

Happy Stitching! 

Vintage Flower Sampler Quilt ~ Block 2

Late last evening, I finished the second block for my

Vintage Flower Sampler Quilt

So now I have two blocks.

I am thinking to frame each block with a white tone of tone and sash with a red/pink print.  I may make nine patches as the sashing posts.

These are busy blocks, in part because 30's reproduction fabrics are typically busy

and in part because sometimes 

I like a colorful jumble of fabrics and prints.

Here is my busy, busy Atsuko Matusuyama 30's Fabric Collection

all laid out on my cutting table.

I think I have another bundle of fat quarters somewhere in on of my closets.

I also have her other book, but that is among the missing right now, too. 

I bought the first book and first bundle at a quilt show many years ago,

because I do love 30's reproduction fabrics.

I did not realize at the time what a famous Japanese Quilt Artist she is

 and how hard these fabrics can be to find at a reasonable cost.

I did find some more at a special fabric sale jumble one year.

The rest was found here and there online. 

My collection is Fat 16ths, Fat 8ths, Fat Quarters 

and a few half yards.

I do love strawberries and strawberry fabrics ... <3 

May your Saturday be full of colorful fabric and threads.

Free Pattern Friday ~ Canadian Quilter's Mystery 2024

 

Would you like to make a Fabric Oatmeal Raisin Cookie?

Then the

  Canadian Quilters ~ 2024 Mystery Quilt-Along 

is for you!

All Information and the First Two Blocks are available in the link above. 

Are you sewing along? 

My idea of a yummy oatmeal cookie has dried cranberries, 

white chocolate chips and walnuts in them, 

so I would add red to my cookie fabric.

What would you add?

 I have not decided if I will sew along.

I have sew many projects.

I may have to bake Oatmeal Cookies this weekend, though.

May you have a happy quilty and yummy cookie weekend! 

I Like Thursday ~ One of Those Days

 Today is Thursday, 

so, therefore,

the day each week when I ruminate

 on that which brings me joy

and all those things, 

great and small,

for which I am grateful 

everyday. 

Today has also been one of those days,

when all of those things are in a muddle,

or a frozen puddle,

and nothing feels quite right

and the pieces to the puzzle do not fit

or go missing.

My mind gone wayward toward "what next?"

A day of mischances,

Mishap.

Even in my happy place,

my sewing corner,

sewing my easy little tree block,

I found myself reaching for my seam ripper

and a recut of little bias triangles.

Where there is usually sew, sew.

Everything seemed just so, so.

My face a frown.

Until  ...

I glanced to my right

 and there behind a notion,

laid aside and sideways,

blocking view of a shelf,

I saw that which I had mislaid

 and was seeking

... right there!

... peeking out at me 

... almost with a wink ...

... this stack of fabrics! 

I had been searching my stash closets for these for days

as I knew I had and want to add to my 

Vintage Flower Sampler Quilt

when they were sitting right next to my sewing machine,

not lost at all,

just waiting to be found.

I even have this  lovely selvage on 6 inch strip of fabric.

My day is blessed.

As always.

If only I would open my eyes and mind and heart to be ... 

Wordless Wednesday

 

Snowy Day Temperature Quilt Blocks

 Here is today's Temperature Block plus and Improve Snow Block.

Today the temperatures did not move out of the 20 degree range

 and the wind chill factor made is feel much colder.

It also snowed several inches.

Here is what I have decided for fabric colors for my little tree blocks ...

2024 Temperature Quilt -Color Chart

-20° and below … white

-11° to -19° … silver gray

0° to – 10°  … dark gray

1° to 9° … dark purple

10° to 19° … light purple

20° to 24° … dark blue

25° to 29° … light blue

30° to 32° … dark green

33° to 39° … light green

40° to 49° … light pink

50° to 59° … dark pink

70° to 79° … yellow

80° to 89° … orange

90° to 99° … bright red

100° to 109° … dark red

110° and above … brown

I am hoping to use many of my pretty Tilda Fabric prints in this quilt.

As I live in a temperate zone, I will use most of these colors

 and have a very colorful quilt.

I hope I do not use the two extreme cold or extreme heat ones,

which would be unusual. 

After I sewed my daily block, I decided to make a spacer type block for January.

This is very much a improv play block.

It is not an attempt to make a perfect block or one that will be duplicated.

If I make another snowflake block, it will be unique, as are all snowflakes.

I could not resist going out and taking a photo of my block on the snow 

on our back porch deck.

As the temperatures will be continuing to drop, 

tomorrows block may introduce and new color to my quilt. 

May you stay safe a warm and quilty.

Hugs & Stitches! 

101 Tilda Bits & My Daily Block

 

Wondering how I manage to use my Tilda Bits Bundle

 to sew my Temperature Tree Blocks

 ... and save my pretty bundle? 

I cut new Fat 16ths from my larger stash pieces when I use one.

This way a hold onto bits and pieces of my treasured Tilda ...

... and make my daily Temperature Tree block.

This is the block for January 15th.

The high of the day was 31 degrees F.

Our night time temperature dipped into the teens

 and my fingers turn purple in the cold,

 so I am using light purple for 10 - 19 degrees

 and dark purple for single digits. 

With the wind chill factor is felt like it was down in the single digits last night.

 Colder tonight ... Brrrr!

So here are my 101 Tilda Bits ... lovely and loved as ever. 

Stay safe and warm and treasure your fabric 

wherever you are. 

Hugs & Stitches!

Sunday Sewing ~ Vintage Flower Sampler Quilt

 

Today has been a happy Sunday. 

I decided to cut some of my treasured ...

Atsuko Matsutyama Fabric ~ Posted Here

This block is from my copy of the 

Vintage Flower Sampler Quilt Book by Atsuko Matsuyama

I love the fabric and projects from this talented Japanese quilt artist. 

This is the Rolling Stones block. 

I am very happy with how this block worked up.

I am not sure if I would have taken this big step today had not posted my fabrics is a private Facebook Group devoted to this quilter and her patterns and fabric. I received a lot of encouragement from the kind group members.

Most likely, I am slowly going to work my way through the traditional pieced blocks and then think about trying to sew the applique ones.

I am feeling good about cutting and sewing some of my fabric treasures.

More blocks (hopefully) soon.

~~~

Here also is my Tree Block for today. 

The temperatures here are dropping and we have had a significant wind chill factor.

The bitterly cold weather from the middle of the country is moving eastward.

I expect I will be cutting some new colors of fabric in the coming days.

Despite the cold, it has been a lovely weekend here in the Scrapatch,

where I have been cooking and baking,

sharing family time with our sons and watching the football playoff games,

as well as play time with my sewing machine.

May you and yours stay well and warm and have a good week.

Temperature Quilt 2024 ~ Progress and Planning

 

The plan for my 2024 Temperature Quilt is coming together!

This is my January 13th tree block.

High ~ 57 degrees F

Low ~ 33 degrees F

The high is 23 degrees higher than our average temperature for this date.

We have had rain and strong winds.

Locally, we have weathered the storm well.

The forecast is for temperatures to dip into the teens within 48 hours.

I believe I have enough of this beautiful Tilda Fabric

from their Chic Escape Collection for the backing of my quilt.

 This is called Wild Garden Teal.

I purchased it when the collection was going on sale

and was fortunate to find a this still available.

Buying Tilda Fabric on clearance is always hit or miss.

As this is my favorite fabric and color from them, it is a high score.

May you be having a happy weekend of family and sewing and stitching.